Portuguese Phrase
Fica com a bolsa perto de você.
Meaning
The sentence is a friendly command telling someone to keep their bag close to them. It is often used for safety or convenience, especially in crowded places or while traveling.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to remind a friend, a child, or a fellow traveler to hold onto their bag – for example on a bus, in a market, at a concert, or any situation where pickpockets might be a concern.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ficacomabolsapertodevocê
Fica (imperative of ficar)
Used as a direct command meaning “stay” or “keep”. In informal speech it addresses the listener as ‘you’.
com (preposition)
Means “with” and links the verb to the object that should stay together.
a bolsa (noun phrase)
Feminine noun ‘bag’ with the definite article ‘a’. Gender agreement is essential in Portuguese.
perto de (locative phrase)
Literally “near of”, used to indicate proximity.
você (pronoun)
Second‑person singular pronoun, informal. In formal contexts you would use “o senhor/a senhora”.
🗨In Conversation
Não deixe a bolsa no chão, por favor.
Please don’t leave the bag on the floor.
Fica com a bolsa perto de você.
Keep the bag close to you.
✕Common Mistakes
Fica com a bolsa perto você.
The preposition “de” is required after “perto”.
Fica com a bolsa perto de tu.
In most of Brazil “você” is the standard second‑person pronoun; “tu” is regional and would need a different verb form (fica → fica).
Fica com a bolsa perto de seu.
Use “você” (or “você”’s possessive “sua”) when addressing someone directly; “seu” would refer to a third‑person possession.
↔Alternatives
Mantenha a bolsa perto de você.
Keep the bag near you.
Segure a bolsa perto de você.
Hold the bag close to you.
Tenha a bolsa ao seu lado.
Have the bag by your side.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, pickpocketing is a common concern in busy urban areas, so locals often advise friends to keep their belongings close. The informal “Fica” works among peers; in a more formal setting you would say “Fique com a bolsa perto de você.”